This morning I saw a gnome in my garden. She climbed up to the bird feeder and was keeping close watch on the tomtit that was dangling from the peanut net. Perhaps she flew in on the male blackbird that was perched on the chair…
Have a wonderful Sunday, all of you.
What would you do with a million dollars, tax free? That is the WordPress topic of today. A well-known dream theme for many of us; a well-known fact for only a few.
One of the first things I would do is try to get my breath back, and then clamber back upon the chair. A million dollars is a LOT of money! Probably my thoughts would wander from total bewilderment to unbelief, gradually changing into joy and an attack of über-ADHD, not knowing what to do.
Lots of things would be possible with no more worries about the future. A substantial part of the money would be deposited in an account for my sons, so they can study for as long as is needed and find the job they care about. Get Nick the best film-editing-special-effects-equipment-and-computer-sort-of-thing. A super game computer for my youngest.
Throwing a big party for family and friends and surprise them with special gifts would be one of the next actions. And buying a nice younger car – not a Top Gear special, but something normal like a Renault Twingo or a Suzuki Swift. For my (Ford) Kaatje has driven almost 100.000 kilometers over European roads, she is getting tired. Little things like buying books, to finally lay my hands on a kindle. Gifts to charity. A replacement for my next-to-exploding washing machine.
We – my partner and our kids, my parents, sister, brother and their families – would travel around the world to see the pyramids of Egypt, trek through Australia for months, visit the jungles of South-America and stand in awe in front of the lost Inca pyramids, to be in the middle of the Canadian forests, to go south and feel the Redwood trees. Take a detour to South-Africa so my brother and sister-in-law could revisit a big piece of their hearts, and after that to Italy for my little sister. The trip around the world would be a very nice long holiday, but not a new way of life.
I would not quit my job, or actually buy a new house, just because I could. Perhaps working part-time would be an option to have more time for other things like writing. But my work at the uni is too nice and challenging to stop. And to dive straight into jet set activities would leave us adrift in rapids of overwhelming impressions, changing the persons we are now.
We need our dreams, our goals, to have a purpose in life. Isn’t it much nicer to wish for something and then work and save to get the money, to make it possible yourself? Of course it would be absolutely wonderful to have a back up, a saving net, in times of trouble. But I would not let the money rule my world.
Since I don’t participate in lotteries, chances for this to happen are close to zero. In the end I would just wake up and smile about this silly dream. But it was a fun dream! 🙂
What would you do if fate threw a million bucks in your lap?
Yesterday I posted my personal emotions and feelings about the felling of trees behind my house (with ‘live’ photo’s) on this blog. And translated it – on request – on my Dutch blog.
Last night someone flamed my post anonymously on a public news site of our town, accusing me of being ‘no true nature freak’ and other stuff. Anonymous has been reading many posts on my Dutch blog and drew conclusions about me from the things I wrote there. He/she called yesterday’s post about the trees ‘pathetic’ and a ‘cry for attention’.
Of course Anonymous is entitled to have his/her own opinion. So the only thing I commented was:
Gosh, you don’t need to read it. Those are my emotions and opinion. But if you want to analyze it this way, of course that is allowed.
My fingers were itching to analyze his/her post too, and to react to every detail he/she mentions. To defend myself – which I could.
But my honor tells me to let it go, to not start an endless discussion which will lead nowhere. And to respect this Anonymous’ freedom of speech.
I am very interested in your opinion about this kind of thing in general. Have you ever been in this kind of situation? And how did you react? DID you react? How do you cope with negative comments? Will you react to all that is said?
Thank you SO much.
~Marion
No happy writing today. I’m sitting behind the desk in my study, totally devastated. They are killing the trees in my back yard. The greenery has to give way to houses and apartments. Was it coincidence they did this on a Thursday, the only morning I’m home? I grabbed my camera and started shooting, blinking the tears away that welled up in my eyes. HOW I HATE THIS!
The trees are screaming to me, while breaking apart with a horrible, tearing sound.
In spring, assembling my beloved porch swing:
In summer:
In winter, on a frosty morning:
‘
My safe haven is ruined. Anger, frustration, outrage, but above all sadness. The trees were a living sun screen, they whispered to me on an early spring day. They provided shelter and a home for many many birds. They were a bit of magic in this stressful life. And now all are gone.
Thank you commerce, thank you developer, you’ve ruined another piece of nature.
~Mar
A very short story!
Once upon a time there was a little witch, who lived quietly but content in her cottage at the edge of the forest. A bit of witch work, weekly crystal ball sessions with the villagers, a love potion here and an arthritis remedy there, and every now and then an exhilarating flight on her broom. Life was simple but good for our nature woman.
Then one day, she heard a deep rumbling sound. And it came closer, ever closer. The earth was vibrating in a way she had never experienced before. Her cat’s tail swooshed back and forth, ears pointed towards the west. With a short command she activated her broom and jumped into the air. Was it perhaps a new born dragon? Heart pounding, she drew closer while her ears were drumming to the bewitching sound.
On the road beneath her was a stranger, dressed in black. He was riding the weirdest object she had ever seen. That was no dragon, nor horse or mule. The metal steed was gliding forward on its own, making the deep sound that had drawn her out of her cottage. This must be a mighty sorcerer.
Intrigued she landed in front of the man and blocked his way forward. She just had to find out more about this secret device! The stranger halted and with a nonchalant gesture he commanded his alien horse to go to sleep. In a glance she saw Harley-Davidson was written on the steed’s side. The witch felt a green-golden gaze settle on her face. There was only silence.
What happened next has not been recorded properly in the witches’ annals. There must have been a magical disturbance that night. We only know that today, the sorcerer still visits the cottage at Wood’s End. And that the broom is getting fat by a lack of exercise, for today…
Today our little witch is the Biker Witch…
Today I would like to bring music to your doorstep and beyond. Might we come in?
Please meet one of the few Dutch bands I love. The name of the band is BLØF. Weird looking name huh? The band members wanted a very short name and their random choice was ‘Bluf’ meaning ‘Boast’. They replaced the ‘u’ with the Danish ‘ø’, just for fun.
This year you will probably see and hear more of them, since I am planning on introducing a favorite piece of music every Tuesday. And I have all of BLØF’s albums. *grins*
The song I chose for today is called Overgave – in English Surrender – from their album April. The melody is haunting, lingering, slow and dreamlike, while the lyrics are tender and beautiful. If my information is correct, the singer Paskal Jakobsen proposed to his wife by singing this song…
You can click on this link to listen to:
Je hebt gewonnen — You have won
Je hebt me voor je — I’m yours
Weerloos — Defenseless
Na al die jaren — After all these years
Ik was begonnen — I started
Op te houden — To stop
Met het kijken — Watching
Met het staren — Staring
Naar je benen — At your legs
Naar je handen — At your hands
Naar de lijn van jouw gezicht — At the contours of your face
Ik kan heel je lichaam zien — I can see your whole body
Met mijn ogen dicht — With my eyes closed
En meer dan ooit — And more than ever
Ben ik klaar voor overgave — I’m ready to surrender
Aan jou — To you
Aan je wil en aan je wet — To your will and to your law
Neem me mee naar bed — Take me to your bed
En laten we zacht zijn — And let’s be tender
Voor elkaar — You and I
Ik ben verloren — I’m lost
Verzet gebroken — Resistance broken
Weerloos — Defenseless
Na al die jaren — After all these years
Opnieuw geboren — Born anew
Opgehouden met het denken — I ceased thinking
En verklaren — Explaining
Van je woorden — Your words
Van je blikken — Your glances
Van de zin van mijn bestaan — The meaning of my existence
Ik wil heel je lichaam zien — I need to see your body
Met de lichten aan — With the lights on
En meer dan ooit — And more than ever
Ben ik klaar voor overgave — I’m ready to surrender
Aan jou — To you
Aan je wil en aan je wet — To your will and to your law
Neem me mee naar bed — Take me to your bed
En laten we zacht zijn — And let’s be tender
Voor elkaar — You and I
Thank you for listening and perhaps learning a tiny bit of Dutch.
Dear Mar,
Don’t be alarmed. You’re not going mad. And I’m not mad either. No, it isn’t a cruel joke or a prank of your friends. Please bear with me and hear me out. It will help you through the rough times you’re going through right now.
What do I know about your rough times? Well love, everything, simply everything. You see, I AM you, sending you this message from a future, ten years from now. Save this letter for the evenings when pain and loneliness threaten to overwhelm you. When despair and doubt strike hard. When your heart is about to break from crying throughout the night. Then read this and let it sooth you. Because there IS life after a divorce.
I know you worry so much about your children. How will they cope with the separation, will it affect their future and trust in life? Be at ease, in ten years they have grown into tall young men who love life. Men who have self confidence and a good sense of justice. They won’t be party animals, but they do have faith in themselves and have fun. Your sons will find their own way in life and you will guide them. And love them more and more each day. Like I do.
You doubt your ability to stand on your own, but this is unnecessary my dear. Your family and friends will help you whenever you need advice. They will come over when something is amiss. One of them will even bring you forty beautiful roses on your fortieth birthday, because he wants you to smile. And you will learn about taxes, mortgages and house maintenance. You won’t like it but you will learn.
Which leads me to the financial part. This has been keeping you awake at night. Have trust in your employer, for he will give you the chance to work longer. Your salary, complemented with your alimony, will enable you and your kids to stay in the house they grew up in.
But the most important thing you need to know right now is that your intuition is right. Your intuition that has been screaming for years is right. Do not doubt your decision to end this marriage. You have fought long enough, hard enough. It just wasn’t meant to be. Your unhappiness will only deepen if you go on and I don’t want that to happen to you. Better to be alone on your own, than to be lonely in company. This is what your heart is telling you right now, so listen to it!
You will go through bad and even worse times, through unpleasant and hurtful events. But you will get out of this much stronger. The sparkle will come back to your eyes, you will be your merry old enthusiastic self again. You will explore new areas and do new and exciting things. And you will find love again. But that is something for a distant future.
For now, be strong and have faith dearest Mar. You will make it through these difficult times, together with your sons, your family and your friends. So embrace and accept the loneliness and pain in the certainty that they will ease. They will become a memory in the future.
Yours, with love,
~Mar
For half an hour I’ve been sitting here, contemplating the question ‘Have you ever lied about your age?’. The answer is no. At least not that I remember. But then this would probably be the shortest post ever and you deserve more than that on this lazy Sunday.
The thing that bothered me in my youth turned into a blessing when I grew older: I look younger than I am. This was very irritating when I wanted to go out with my girl friends, who all looked more mature than me. They would flash a smile at the porter, attack with their eyelashes and no ID was asked. Which left me standing outside, fuming with frustration. But I would not lie about my age. It would have been utterly useless anyway, since I turn beet red when I try to make something up.
Finally my sixteenth birthday arrived and again we took off into town. I stepped up to the same old doorman with a big grin and told him I was sixteen. ‘Today I may enter.’ He did not believe me. My chin was rising by the second and again I told him I had the RIGHT to enter since I was sixteen. Again I was denied entrance. The fact that he would not believe me on my word pissed me off so much, that I showed him my ID and – when he opened the door for me – told him to stuff his dancing somewhere dark. We turned on our heels and found a new place to dance and have fun.
Since then I’ve come a long way. Over thirty years later I can still relate to the girl I was back then. The fact that I seem younger than my actual age no longer bothers me; in fact it’s rather pleasant. And most of the times I still feel like a young woman inside. Imagine, in two and a half years I will finally meet Sarah! It still feels weird when students call me ‘madam’. But in their eyes I’m probably an old bat.
What does aging do to us? Of course there is a bit of physical deterioration:
But I mean, apart from these tiny effects 😉 does age matter? Are we not still the same person inside who likes to jump in rain puddles, kicks at a tin can, sings and dances around, who likes being whistled at? Who gets rebellious in the face of boring situations and designs silly games to pass the time? Who gets insecure in new and strange situations? Who gets nervous when our wise-by-years mind tells us to be cool? Who can fall in love like a teenager?
Well I still am! How about you?
Today’s question: Would you rather be super intelligent or extremely good looking?
You admire it, wipe your mouth clean and dump it…
For me I prefer a balanced combination of intelligence and beauty. But if I HAVE to choose, it’ll be intelligent. Good looking is nice, but when there’s nothing afloat in the brain, things will become rather boring within a week.
Same choice for the opposite sex. After all, we’ll always have George Clooney to look at 😉
Figments of a DuTchess 